


Crossroads

by cloudcomet



Category: Magic Knight Rayearth
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 11:36:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7220758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudcomet/pseuds/cloudcomet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that Cephiro was past times of war and turmoil, Umi begins to consider her future in Earth and Cephiro seriously.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Clef set his quill down in frustration. It was too bloody noisy in the hall. He could barely control his urge to burst into the hall and yell at them to keep it down. He settled for a loud frustrated growl.

 

He knew that his anger was irrational. His tower was in fact the furthest tower from the grand hall. It had been his request for his tower to be as isolated as possible. The entrance had once been hard to find but he had to magic it into view after Emeraude’s…departure because everyone seemed to have some damned disaster they couldn’t solve by themselves. No one seemed to care that he as the Grand Mage had tons of work to do and it wrecked havoc on his work schedule.

 

The reason why he could detect the ruckus was because of their excited auras coupled with the earlier disturbance in the portal. It didn’t take a genius to know that the knights were back. What truly agitated him was that he couldn’t sense _her_ amongst the crowd. Amidst the red, green, yellow, pink and other colours, there was absolutely no hint of blue. Rubbing his temples in annoyance, he casted out his magic to look for Umi.

 

_Why? She knows the land well enough by now._

A little voice sang in his head that he quickly quashed while continuing his search.

 

She was by the sea again.

 

_So what now that he had found her? Should he leave her to be or should he not? Why had she fallen into this odd habit anyway? It would have been easier for her to teleport into the castle with Fuu and Hikaru._

Clef frowned as he used his magic to probe at the portal. It was working normally, albeit less stable than it used to be. But it wasn’t surprising given the recent upheaval Cephiro had gone through: upkeep of the portal certainly wasn’t anyone’s priority right now. He cast his magic out for Umi again. 

 

She was still at the beach, her aura a dark midnight blue like a starless night: The sort of nights that stranded sailors with no directions and no wind to fill their sails. Clef’s brows furrowed deeper as he recalled the various auras she had projected.

 

 _The frazzled light blue aura that seemed to be tinged with his own element of lightning when she had first arrived in Cephiro._

_The cobalt blue laced with streaks of stormy grey when she struggled to accept her reality and her magic._

_A shimmery turquoise when she first woke Ceres._

_An inky blue so dark it was almost black when Emeraude died. It was one that continued to taint her aura when she had returned again._

_Azure blue decorated with glittery diamonds much like a glittering sea under the summer sun when she was happy._

 

Never once had he seen the current aura and it pained him to see her so despondent. Her tumultuous emotions were beginning to reflect in Cephiro’s waters and weather: heavier storms and stronger tides. He fell back into his chair and sighed heavily. He had just proven to himself that his feelings for Umi went beyond what a teacher should have for his student and beyond that of a friend.

 

_As if changing form wasn’t proof?_

 

The sly little voice that sounded suspiciously like Umi’s began taunting him in his mind again.

 

Indeed Clef had grown but he had reasoned that as Cephiro’s representative, required a more suitable form: One that would command authority and inspire trust. At 745 years old, he couldn’t jolly well attend meetings with foreign dignitaries looking like a child especially when with Ferio who looked way too young for his age as well. Not to mention that his previous form was of the same height as Princess Aska and as young as her that had led to way too many pranks featuring him as the victim. He had therefore decided to age into a man.

 

Caldina had been awestruck by the transformation and had teased him mercilessly till now. She would say things such as “OHO~! What a treat for Umi when she returns! Ascot’s gotta look out now ay~~?” in that flirtatious manner of her with a couple of winks thrown in for good measure. It was embarrassing really.

 

But Caldina hadn’t been far off the mark. His first thought after the transformation was indeed centered on Umi. _Would she like this?_ Appearances shouldn’t matter that much in love but well, he still wanted to look good in her eyes anyways. He was vaguely worried that she might overlook his presence if he continued to look like a child. Moreover, Ascot was charming in his own right, if the trail of blushing palace maids he left behind was any sign. Or Eagle, who looked like a courtly gentleman and had recently, been spending more time with Umi. At the thought of his competition, he felt spikes of jealousy rise again.

 

 _Oh for Pillar’s sake, Ascot was just a boy compared to him!_ But here he was, getting jealous. It was ridiculous really.

 

At this point, Ferio waltzed into his study after a quick knock.

 

“What?” he snarled, glaring at Ferio.

 

“Antsy now aren’t we?” Ferio grinned roguishly. Clef’s anger sliding off him as easily as water slid off a duck.

 

But his face quickly turned serious as he settled into a chair that faced Clef.

 

“No beating around the bush for me. Fuu has told me that Umi is beginning to entertain thoughts of never returning to Cephiro.” Ferio stated bluntly while looking sharply at Clef.

 

Clef paled, this wasn’t what he had been expecting. He had come to take her visits for granted.

 

“Umi hasn’t actually said but Fuu and Hikaru have gotten these premonitions. They think it’s because of you. All the late night visits to your study and the half uttered confession during the duel… They haven’t missed much.” Ferio continued.

 

"Plus with the increasingly freakish weather, it's really quite obvious that something is weighing down on Umi's mind. You." Ferio gestured at the skies while never breaking eye contact with Clef.

Clef just stared at Ferio, stunned and speechless.

 

Ferio pressed on, “It’s really time to fess up, y’know. To quote Caldina: _Ain’t no gurl going to be waiting forever!_ If you let her slip by, you won’t get another chance.”

 

There was a heavy moment of silence. Clef couldn’t bring himself to laugh at Ferio’s clumsy impersonation of Caldina who would no doubt be furious to hear it.

 

Clef gave a nod that Ferio took as his cue of dismissal and rose.

 

“Nobody wants to see you moping for another couple of centuries or so, old man!” Ferio laughed as he left, confident that he had given Clef enough reason to act.

 

Clef sank deeper into his chair. At least he hadn’t been delusional, reading imaginary signs from Umi. Ferio’s caution weighed heavily in his mind and he fell deeper into his thoughts.

 

_When had it begun anyway? When had Umi made a home for herself in his heart?_

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

_When had it begun anyway? When had Umi made a home for herself in his heart?_

 

The memories came rushing back in a jumble.

 

He remembered the late night visits when Umi had first returned to Cephiro.

 

_The first night_

 

He had been mildly surprised to detect Umi’s presence behind his doors and had willed them open to reveal a nervous Umi clutching a book in her hands. He had given a wry smile at how surprised both of them were but had welcomed her in anyways.

 

“I uh couldn’t sleep and uhm I didn’t want to be alone…” She had started off anxiously but stopped when she seemed to realize what the latter half of her sentence implied. Afterall, the knights were still sharing a room. Clef had given a gentle smile, telling her to make herself comfortable and that he had a mini pantry that mostly consisted of tea, hot chocolate and biscuits that she could help herself to.

 

She gave a nod and settled onto his couch to read while he had continued working. He couldn’t help but wonder why she had chosen to seek refuge in his study.

 

A couple of hours later and more cups of tea than he ought to have drank, he was ready to call it a night even though not many would call 4am night. Stretching his arms, he walked to the bed, only to glimpse a headful of blue hair from the corner of his eyes. Being preoccupied with work and coupled with Umi’s quietness, he had forgotten that she was in his study.

 

He grabbed a throw for her and went over to the couch. The Water Knight had fallen asleep but going by her furrowed brows and restless movements, it was an uneasy sleep. She was talking in her sleep as well and he leaned closer to catch what she was saying.

 

“Emeraude…please no…” Umi mumbled.

 

It was Clef’s turn to frown and he let out a heavy sigh. He had been negligent. Certainly none of them should have overlooked the trauma inflicted upon the three knights who were too young to experience all of this. Summoning them had been selfish and he should have found time to counsel them but his own pain had been too fresh and there was all that work to do.

 

Gazing at Umi, he sighed again as he used his magic to envelop her with warmth and comfort. When that hadn’t seemed enough to quell her demons, he had begun humming a lullaby and stroked her hair. That had seemed to do the trick. This was Umi, he supposed, stubborn and unwilling as hell to show vulnerability in front of others. He hoped that Fuu and Hikaru were faring better.

 

_The following nights_

The nocturnal visits continued. While Clef had gotten used to her presence and welcomed the short distractions she provided with her questions about Cephiro, this could not go on. He had decided against slipping her small doses of sleeping potions in her hot chocolate to ensure sound sleeping. There was a hidden danger in dreamless sleeps and a risk of dependency upon the potion. He could use his magic and hum all the lullabies he knew but he wasn’t getting to the root of the issue. He had to talk to her.

Umi came into his study that night as was expected. He pretended to busy himself with his work for a while more before getting up to bustle about at the pantry.

 

“Here, it’s for you.” He handed the cup of hot chocolate to Umi as he settled down in the armchair next to her.

 

“Oh, thanks,” Umi was mildly taken aback. It was rare for Clef to take breaks.

 

“Uhm, if I’m being a bother, I can leave…”

 

Clef cut her off with a firm shake of his head.

 

Looking at her squarely in her sapphirine eyes, he took a deep breath before continuing, “I feel the same pain as you do regarding Emeraude’s death.”

 

She shook her head vehemently, “You didn’t kill her! I did, with this pair of hands, I killed her.”

 

Clef was inwardly relieved at her outburst: it was certainly healthier compared to the alternative of her bottling these feelings.

 

He shook his head in response. “I enabled you to kill her.”

 

Umi stared at him as understanding dawned upon her. He saw her pain, her empathy and her understanding. But there had been an absence of blame; they had never and would never fault Clef for his role in the grand scheme of things. She broke off the gaze and stared at her hands in her lap instead as tears fell.

 

Clef reached out to grasp her hands. “You’re not alone, Umi.”

 

At that she sobbed even harder but they both knew, that they were going to be all right now.

 

_But perhaps, he had already developed feelings for her by then._

 

He recalled their first meeting.

 

She had been a terror: a loud, whining, immature girl who was unfit to take on the mantle of a knight. He was almost certain that she had been summoned mistakenly. But she had also been feisty, daring with her sass and sarcastic retorts. It had surprised him to learn that she would be a wielder of water magic. Then again, what could have been more befitting?

 

He had again been taken aback when she proved to be most receptive to his communication attempts when he was in stone form. _Had that been an early sign?_ She had in fact, been worried about him and apologetic about her actions. It had left him feeling touched and rather intrigued about the knight who had more to her than she had shown. Throughout the knights’ journey and numerous trials, she had proven herself to be courageous, loyal and determined girl with a generous heart.

 

He smiled wryly at all his memories of her. It didn’t matter when it had started but to recognize that he had indeed fallen for Umi. He couldn’t recall such intensity of emotions for another in his long life. Nor had he paid such great attention to another girl who wasn't the Pillar.

 

Ferio was right. It was high time that he acted on his feelings.


	3. Chapter 3

Umi sat on the swing and gazed at the glittering sea. This was her relatively new but not-so-secret hideout. Hikaru and Fuu knew, and that meant that their partners probably had a vague idea of where she ended up. Not that she had been disturbed so far.

She had come to mope. That was all she seemed to be doing now whenever they returned to Cephiro. It had become a wee bit grating on her nerves to see everyone paired up and sending adoring glances at each other whenever possible.

She let out a frustrated sigh.

Clef.

She constantly wondered why she didn't know and possibly never would know where things stood between her and him. Their relationship was a game of smoke and mirrors. Every time she thought that there was a bit of progress, they would somehow regress by bickering over something petty and then every move they made after would be tinged with hesitancy and tentative. It was tiring: this ambiguity. For every positive indication she could recall, there were at least two signs that she swore pointed otherwise.

_Does he or does he not?_

_Should she or should she not?_

_Could they or could they not?_

_Will they or will they not?_

_Were they ever going to get somewhere someday?_

These were perennial questions that bugged her endlessly whenever she thought about her and Clef. She had thought about these questions so much and so many times that she was in a deadlock. She was stuck in a spiral; a turnabout and she had no idea where or how she should exit.

_Perhaps…she should stay away for a while._

It wasn’t the first time the idea had surfaced in her mind, but she was still vaguely shocked that it was a viable option.

She kicked at the sand, watching the grains fly. Contrary to what most of the others believed, she never had much experience in romance. None from her world had interested her enough, and she had stayed single while her friends had gotten attached one by one. Cephiro had given her the first bittersweet taste of romance.

She had been harbouring her feelings for quite some time now. They were initially dismissed as she rationalized her feelings to have developed out of an emotional dependence of sorts while her life was in a period of upheaval. Her feelings weren’t reliable and she certainly wasn’t going to act upon them on impulse.

But it probably would be better than her current conundrum. Clef wasn’t someone you had an undefined relationship with. He was a mentor, a friend, a teacher, a senior, advisor or the Grand Mage. It had become clear to her that her feelings went beyond platonic. She had even begun reading horoscopes to try and figure him out before she realised that there was likely to have a time difference between Earth and Cephiro, that the stars were probably different. Plus, if they didn't believe in astrology, it was highly unlikely that anything would apply. It was frustrating for Umi to realise how silly she had gotten for Clef sometimes. She was occasionally impatient to demand an answer from Clef, but she had always drawn back like a coward she never thought she was.

There was too much at stake. Her friendship with him, Ceres, her place in Cephiro, her two friends, and the portal, would very much suffer the consequences of fallout.

"Need a hand?"

She had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she had failed to detect a presence. Startled, she looked up to see Eagle standing next to her. He was just standing next to her, a gentle smile as a breeze blew, playing with both their tresses. She shook her head and looked back out to the sea. Eagle shrugged and sat on a log next to her.

“What?” She snapped, whipping around to look at him.

Another shrug, “Just thought you needed help sorting out your thoughts,” Eagle grinned playfully.

Umi deflated as her anger evaporated quickly. She shook her head again.

“The entire world can tell that he likes you, Umi. You’re just way in over your head to see it clearly,” Eagle sighed. It was quicker to be blunt; no telling how fast Clef would work once Ferio egged him into action.

She stared at him.

“All those glances, the little touches, the long night walks, and the morose way he looks that he thinks nobody can see, his gentleness towards you… You honestly think that they count for nothing?”

Umi couldn’t get a word in before Eagle barreled on.

“He doesn’t spend as much time with anyone else as he does with you. Nor does he expend effort in quibbling with anyone else. Only you get that reaction: you get under his skin. It's not that far a reach.”

Umi was a picture of shock and cautious hope. She felt her heart beat a little faster and her stomach twisting into knots.

Eagle smirked and extended his hand to Umi, “Come on princess, let’s get you back to the castle.”


	4. Chapter 4

Eagle had escorted Umi back to the castle - a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Clef. Their auras were unmistakable when they re-entered the castle barriers. 

 

He sighed as he pressed his fingers against his temple. 

 

_Was he seriously allowing Ferio and Eagle to get under his skin?_

 

He was over seven centuries old, surely Ferio’s taunting didn’t count for much. But then again, there was Eagle, and he was pretty sure he had overheard the Knights gushing over how wonderfully gentlemanly he was. Umi in particular was seemingly the most verbal at expressing her admiration, likening him to a fictitious character from England (wherever that was on Earth). He had felt his hackles rise.

 

 _And this, this man was the one accompanying her!_ Clef couldn’t suppress the low growl he let out. He would let them win this round, and for once, follow Caldina’s script. Oh yes, he was darned sure that it was the cunning lady who planned for this to happen. 

 

He set off to find Umi.

 

Umi had left Eagle in the Grand Hall for the Astronomy tower. It was one of her favourite hangouts, and where she could be found at night if she wasn’t in her bedroom (not that anyone disturbed her there unless it was blazingly urgent). It was quiet, and one of the furthest towers away from the main Castle buildings. More importantly, it was also far away from Clef’s tower. Opposite ends as they were. 

 

But even then, Clef was intricately weaved into her memories of the tower. It was where she had learnt the stars of Cephiro from him, and finally confirming for herself that stars were indeed different from the ones back home. There were nights they had spent there in silence, looking out and appreciating the beauty of the land, finding comfort in the warm flickering lights of far-away towns, and finding solace in the peacefulness of it all. Moments that had sent her heart racing when their fingers brushed, when she caught him staring at her, when she studied his features and committing the curves of his jaw to her memory when he had dozed off, and her first kiss with him right on the windowsill. 

 

She wasn’t even sure how it had happened. It was a moment suspended between reality and dreams, and even till now, she doubted that the kiss had happened. Was it even a kiss? He had woken up from what seemed like a nightmare while she had been on the verge of dozing off, but he had crawled over and gazed at her. 

 

_"Clef?"_

 

He didn’t answer, he wasn’t quite awake, but he hovered over her. In the dim light, his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

 

 _"You’re here, with me,"_ he had murmured, his voice husky with sleep. It had sent shivers up her spine. Before she could reassure him, he had cupped her face and leaned in. His lips were cold from the wind, and the kiss was a quick gentle brush, but her first kiss. 

 

 _"Clef?_ " She murmured against his lips. But he had already closed his eyes, and fallen asleep against her once more. 

 

She had wriggled out and ran all the way back to her bedroom with her heart pounding so fiercely against her chest. But somehow she had fallen asleep, and when she woke up in the bright daylight, the episode had felt like a dream. 

 

And that bastard acted as per normal the very next day. It had pissed her off and strangely, sent pricks of pain through her heart. She had felt like a massive fool, and her insecurities about him being so much older and the experience that came with the years resurfaced all at once. Perhaps that was when she wavered, and thoughts of leaving Cephiro crept in. 

 

 _"Stupid stupid stupid,"_ she curled her hands into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms. But she wanted to believe: believe in Eagle’s words, believe that there was the possibility that Clef could possibly love her as much as she loved him and in the way she wanted him to.  

 

Clef stared at her, watching her look out of the window as her hair billowed about. That window where he had first kissed her after his nightmare that he had lost her in the war. He had only been half awake, but he remembered it clearly enough when he had woken up. 

 

But he hadn’t been sure of what he ought to do after the kiss. And so he had taken the cowardly way out by pretending that nothing had happened. He wasn’t aware of the hurt he had caused.

 

Taking a deep breath, he stepped next to her, and from the corner of his eye, glanced at her impassive face. He turned to face her.

 

_Fucking hell, his heart can’t be pounding that hard from the climb._

 

“Umi.”

 

_Fuck, he wasn’t ready. He hadn’t planned what he was going to say._

 

His words came falling out and stumbling over each other in his rush.

 

“I’m sorry about the kiss. No, I’m not. I’m sorry that I didn’t react better about the kiss. I had always pictured kissing you under different circumstances, more romantic ones. Not one out of fright at the possibility of losing you. It’s been too goddamned fucking long since I last did this with someone. And I was frightened by the even slightest chance that I had ruined whatever we had between us. There’s so much at stake. You, me, us, our friends, Cephiro. I didn’t know what to do, and you weren’t there when I woke up. I was so afraid that you didn’t want me the way I wanted and needed you.” 

 

He had to take a breath.

 

Umi had turned and was looking at him with wonder and was that hope in her eyes? 

 

“I. I love you.”

 

Clef held her gaze. 

 

Umi threw her arms around him, laughing and crying.

 

“Stupid old geezer. I was scared too.” 

 

Pulling back, she met his gaze again, cupping his face. The pair leaned in reflexively toward each other, foreheads touching. 

 

“I love you too. You’ve no idea how long I’ve waited to tell you this.”

 

Clef chuckled, and tilted Umi’s face towards him.

 

Leaning in once again, he whispered, “This was how I wanted our first kiss to happen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reread my previous notes, and nope I think 3 more chapters would be an overkill for this fic. So this is the final chapter.
> 
> -Cues a romantic sunset in the background for Clef's and Umi's kiss-  
> And yes, Caldina roped in Ferio and Eagle in her scheme to get them together because all that sexual tension and the constant moping from both ends were too much to handle. Both Ferio and Eagle (esp Eagle who is quite a strategist himself) know exactly the right buttons to push with Clef and Umi respectively. Fuu and Hikaru were largely kept in the dark about the plan except Caldina's constant reassurances that things would brighten up real soon and it's all going to work out.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't mean to write a monster but I guess this was why I didn't attempt a Clef/Umi fic for so long. Anyhow, there'll possibly be 3 other chapters. The next will likely be from Clef's point of view followed by Umi's (I might combine them if they aren't terribly long). A conclusion that might or might not have a chapter of its own.


End file.
